The Lord of the Dark Ring
by Lily Boom
Summary: A new darkness grows at the whole Middle Earth. Nobody knows where has it come from or how has it reached to get power over orcs and other creatures before loyal to Sauron. A new elf appears and nobody knows her. What's to happend on the Middle Earth?
1. Chapter 1

**Episode 1: The new forests.**

(Legolas Voice)

It's now a year since Aragorn married to Arwen, they are about having a child and now the dark times are far away in the past, forests destroyed by war are beginning to go back into life.

The forest once was mine have again reborn, yet that's not too weird cause us, elves have nature magic so after working hard we have managed to bring our forests back to life. Now everywhere you look you can see the happiness and life, the peace has brought everyone. Humans improve and regain their value under Aragorn's laws. We, elves, on the other hand, seem to go less cause most of us ran away on war times. But I stayed, same goes to some other elves that now are beginning to spread all over this lands. And I have gone back to the head of the elves in my community.

My father was killed on war, same goes for my brothers; my "sisters" are gone on ships to cross the sea… I'm alone, the last member of my family staying here, and I have the bad feeling that I'll be the last one.

I see days pass and nights come. I can't sleep much, even for being an elf. I can feel something bad coming.

Of course, it's nothing too bad. There are still some orcs, trolls and other dark creatures, Sauron followers still in the lands, but they are too spread for being a real menace. Anyway, they are still there and they give some problems from time to time. Mostly to humans that walk around the place.

Aragorn comes from time to time to visit me, with Arwen. I really admire her. She was really admirable for renouncing to her eternal elfish life for her love, Aragorn. He is a lucky guy. Time pass at their faces, but not on mine.

Sometimes I envy them because they will live and die together. But I don't want such a life, even if I can share it with someone I love. What I like the less from the kind of life we elves have is that if we have human friends we will see them die before we can even go elder.

And it was on one of their visits that everything happened.

The first orcs murdered near our forest's news came.

"There has been some other orcs murdered near Gondor too." Aragorn told me.

Arwen usually went around with some women there.

"I have heard about orcs acts and murders lately." I told him. "Wind brings me whispers of what could be another little war. There's something going wrong not so far of our lands."

"I hope that doesn't bring another war." Aragorn said. "My wife is about giving birth my heir and a war would just make things worse."

"You don't have to care much about it." I said. "War is still far and it has still not turned out into anything."

"But you are also worried, my friend." He told me.

It was true, I was a bit worried. Orcs were beginning to appear killed near forests and not too far from our lands. Lately it seemed as if whatever carrying death was getting nearer us as days passed. I wondered what could be and if it would pass my forests.

But would not be so lucky even if I wised it doing my best. The following day news was worse. The last orcs had appeared not too far from my forests. Death was arriving near us. I was a bit nervous all the day, and my men were told to keep all their senses awaken in case something happened.

Aragorn was still here, and he was also nervous. Arwen was sent back their home that same afternoon when one of the explorers I sent to check the frontiers told me he had got news on the breeze of more death just some miles from us.

But it didn't arrive to our frontiers till dusk. And of course, I never expected it to have that appearance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Episode 2****: Lethal advises.**

(Legolas Voice)

"Sir, sir." One of my men said at dusk middle point bowing his head on respect as he saw Aragorn was also there. "I… bring news."

"It's ok. King Aragorn is friend, speak freely." I told him.

"We have found an orcs gang coming towards here, Legolas." The man said worried. "It must be about ten and they bring a huruk with them."

"Then send some of your men to fight them." I told him.

"What is weird is they are so close to us and on such a funny group." Aragorn said then.

"With my respects…" My man said. "We think they are following something or someone."

That made us go a bit confused. I would have expected him to tell me not just that but also who or what were they following.

"And you have still not seen what is it?" Aragon asked him. "I mean… your kind has a great developed sight sense."

"It doesn't help much if what they are chasing is not visible or hiding for a reason or another." I said.

Then another man came running.

"Lord Legolas!" He said. "An orcs group at the north edge. We are fighting them."

"I'll give a hand." Aragon said.

"Let's go." I said.

It didn't take us too long to reach that part of the forest where a battle was being held. There was about twenty two orcs still alive and two creatures that looked as cave trolls. Ten of my people were already fighting them and some archers were crouched trying to get the orc forces. So Aragorn took his sword out as I did too. We began fighting arm against arm and suddenly I saw how some orcs began falling next to me. In less than a minute all the orcs were death a one of my men was badly wounded. And Aragorn had a sword against his throat while a person on armour held it.

Then it fell down to its knees and it fainted.

"Wow, I thought he would kill me." Aragorn said. "Before he fell down."

I then kneeled down to remove the helmet and I saw a long red hair with same face signs as my own kind ones yet his face was certainly really dirty in dirt and dry blood.

Suddenly we heard some orcs shouts and I held the warrior up with the help of Aragorn and my first trust man.

"Let's take him to a safe place." I said. "We have to heal him."

"How is he?" Aragorn asked me. "Has he awake?"

"I don't think we made the correct idea on it all." I said. "Well, we will see if my suspects were fine or not. Soon, I have to go and check up on him. He seems to have awakened on a non peaceful way."

"I can remember how 'peaceful' he was." Aragorn told me rubbing his neck.

"Anyway, I think he was not enough well to be a serious problem right now." I added.

Something inside me was fighting, a part said I was right and the foreigner could not fight because he was still weak and another said I was somehow mistaken.

Anyway, when we arrived the room where he was resting we saw my second voice was not mistaken. The foreigner had sheltered behind my cousin _**Órelindë**_ and he was pulling a dage against her neck menacingly.

"_**Please, calm up."**_ I told him on elfish. _**"None of us want to hurt you. We are friends."**_

"_**Meldo?"**_ He said with a soft voice, and then he sheltered again behind the woman. _**"**__**Man nályë?**__** (Who are you**____**)"**_

"_**Im **__**Legolas. Telin le thaed. (I'm Legolas. I've come to help you.)"**_ I told him trying to make him lower his weapon.

Aragorn then looked at us as I suppose he could also understand it all. Anyway, the man noticed him too and pressed the dage against the neck a steady again as he pointed to him with his head.

"_**Im Aragorn o **__**Gondorello**__**."**_ He answered him himself as if he noticed what he meant by pressing the weapon again against my cousin's neck.

"_**Man ná esselya? (What is your name?)"**_ I then asked him. _**"Mallo tulalyë? (Where have you come from?)"**_

"_**Im **__**Eärwen Faelivrin. (My name is Eärwen Faelivrin)**__**"**_ He, that was she, said. _**"Tulan Rivendell (I come from Rivendell).**__**Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien (From the Great Sea I'd arrive the Middle Earth).**__**"**_ She added putting away her dage to fall on her knees.

((Excuse me but it's hard for me to write it on Kenya or elf's language so I think I'll type it on English but black when it's elfish language. Excuse for the break. ))

"_**You are still a bit weak after the fight, friend."**_ I said. _**"You should rest a bit."**_

"_**No, I'm in danger."**_ She said trying to stand up. _**"If I stay you will also be in danger."**_

"_**Th**__**ey can give you shelter and protection here." **_Aragorn said then.

She then shook her head.

"_**I need to find the three elfish heads and advise them**_." She kept on. _**"My old village was attacked by orcs now rejoined by something evil and next step will be the rest of the middle lands. They need to know."**_

Then Aragorn looked at me and I did same for him. That could explain a lot, but we could not believe the one we once destroyed could have survived.

"_**But Sauron was destroyed."**_ Aragorn said.

"_**The ring was destroyed."**_ I agreed. _**"It can't be him."**_

"_**It's not Sauron."**_ She said. _**"We can't name him."**_

Days went by and little by little she seemed to go better. Aragorn then left for his kingdom in order to take care of his domains and protect the people living at them.

So, from while to while I used to get to her area and visit her. That way I learned that she could speak Kenya because she told me her mother language was a dialect from our language, two Dwarfs languages and also Common language or human one.

Then I began telling her about our history there and she turned out to be a great pupil who enjoyed every single new knowledge she got especially when they came from maps and activities. She spoke me about what was on the other side of the sea and I enjoyed with her tales.

That way she ended by getting over her wounds and walking again by her own feet without help of walking sticks.

The same day I was to finally ask her if she would leave that day with the rest of our women for a safer place I found her looking to the horizon at a high branch my men had settled a little surveillance platform.

"You should not be so high when you can still go dizzy and fall from here." I told her. "Haven't my men tried to stop you?"

"I'd like to see you trying it too." She answered me. "And yes, they tried, but you know you men don't fight women. _It's not proper_."

"You speak as if you could fight." I told her in fun sitting next to her. "And what can you say? Any news?"

"There are some orc parties rising over there." She said pointing with her hands and whole arms. "There, there and there. I'm a bit worried of them growing up too strong."

"Hum." I said. "We began noting it days ago."

"And why didn't you tell me?" She asked me. "Oh, I know. I don't care, I'm just a woman."

"I didn't tell you because I thought you would not mind it." I said. "You could not have done anything because you were still getting over it. And now… I came to inform you the women will be travelling to the north to avoid the danger again."

"Fine." She said nodding. "I'm staying. I want to take part on this war."

"You should leave this on our hands." I told her. "Aragorn will be fighting too."

"So, there's another reason for me staying here and facing the orcs. But don't worry. I'll leave tomorrow if I can, I promise."

And so was what she did in fact. She left the following day without even us noticing it. When I asked the men who was supposed to be guarding the forest they told me that whether they were in the middle of the changing time or suddenly they had felt a bit drowsy so as they fell asleep for some minutes they didn't saw anything. Furthermore, before she left, a weird and thick fog laid at our forest.

"I suppose she has taken advantage of it for running away." My best mate said. "Want us to follow her, milord?"

"No." I said. "We will surely see her again. I have that feeling."

"As you wish." He answered me back. "Our men will be ready for leaving on a couple of hours."

"You have three for joining a little group that will go with me to Rivendell." I said. "We will answer to the call we got some days after that unexpected arrival."

"Yes my lord Legolas." He said bowing before leaving.

I packed the little things I needed for this time travel and went to get my horse ready. While I was there I checked the weird woman had also taken her horse, as all her belongings plus an arch from our storage where she left the following note:

"I'm sorry to have taken this, but I couldn't keep on travelling without a bow and arrows and mine were broken during the fight.

Lord Legolas from this wood, I'll pay the price you have for well to sell it to me when we met again. Cause I'm sure we will soon met again.

_**Eärwen Faelivrin**___"

I had to smile when I was read that note by my first mate.

"I think that just for that she would deserve it to be for free." I said. "I could never make such a brave one to pay for a weapon when she was in need of it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Episode 3****: Rivendell Council.**

(Legolas Voice)

It's going to be a month since we left our dear forest riding our fastest horses. We had to fight some orcs' groups while we got there, but on our way we didn't crossed any female fighter.

When we arrived Rivendell Elrond was already waiting for us; he put us up on one of the wings of his big house.

There we had to spend some days till everyone was there and we could begin the meeting.

Of course, I was happy when I saw Faramir of Roham, Aragon of Gondor and Gimli as price of the dwarves. Who could have told me I would ever go so happy of meting a dwarf again?

"Have you seen your nice guest again?" Aragorn asked me when we had chance after his arrival while Faramir was also walking with him and me.

"Ah, I heard on our way here of your fight and the mysterious elf." Faramir said joking.

"She ran away just a day before we left for coming here." I said. "And I must say it was really well planned by her cause she took advantage of a thick fog to run away unnoticed."

"She sounds just as Eowin then." Faramir said. "Yet this time she has agreed to take care of our city while I come here."

"Arwen is being guarded cause of her pregnancy." Aragorn said. "She could not fight even if she wanted to."

"Oh, sure." I said. "When is your heir being born?"

"Perhaps he has just been born while I came here." Aragorn said.

"I wonder why we were called here with such a hurry." Faramir said.

"Maybe cause of the orc attacks lately." I said. "Who knows? Anyway, what is sure is it was important."

And sure it was important. When the council day arrived everyone sat down at their seats. This time we sat down at the same seats, but there was an empty seat where years ago Aragorn had seat as he was now taking Boromir's seat for Gondor and Faramir the one of his brother in law. Haldir of Lorien's seat was also empty.

Elrond began the meeting explaining us the meeting was for dealing with the latest orc attacks.

"They seem to have stood up, due to latest news from one of us, following a new evil will coming from far away over seas. Their wish is to take the place Sauron left once so it's now again our turn to defend those things we believe in, those things we love."

"Ok, then let's go, find that evil lord and cut his head from his shoulders!" Gimli said.

In less than a minute we were all again fighting till we heard some explosions in the middle of us.

"That's the problem of dealing with men." A voice said. "First kill and then stop to think."

"Once again you are late." Elrond said. "Take your seat, please."

"Thank you." The tall hooded figure said taking the old Aragorn seat. "Ok, now you can keep on arguing and not reaching any conclusion."

"So I must suppose the new and rude one has a better idea." Glorin, Gimli's cousin or something like that said.

"Well, it happens that I could have an idea, yes." She said not removing the hood either then. "But I must agree it's funnier to see other points of view."

"And may I ask why a councillor member arrived late and was so rude of not even uncovering his head?" other of the human kings said.

"I'm sorry about the delay." She said standing up and bowing in respect. "I was out doing some researches when I was attacked by some orcs and I was delayed."

"Ok." Elrond said. "Can you share what news you have brought?"

"Sure milord." She said once again standing up. "I have fought my way here and get some presses with me. And from my other researches, I have found out they will first aim at humans, then elves and last dwarves."

"We are the ones they fear the most!" One of the dwarves' chiefs said.

"No, you are the ones with better protection at your reach." She said. "The mines are a great fortress but they can also be turned into a mouse trap. Elves are wise and have their senses well developed so they could spot them easily and get ready for an attack before they could even have a choice of getting near. But humans are more than any of the rest of us together. That's a point on their favour."

At this point the council members had began arguing again and she had sat down again waiting them to stop it.

I didn't need to see her face. I was able to recognise that voice and way of speaking among a million more, that was why I half smiled.

"Silence, please!!" Elrond shouted making the councillors to fall in silence again little by little and sit down again. "We are here to find a solution, not to fight among us."

As he spoke I noticed something, the travelling cloak she was wearing had revealed one of her legs where she had now revealed an ugly wound covered with a cloth wrapping it. That and the several cuts she seemed to have could explain the little blood drops at the ground.

"We have to fight them." I then said. "And I think everyone will agree with it."

"Yes." Everyone said.

"And does anyone have the gentility of explaining me the fight plan?" She then said.

"We will attack straight." Gimli said. "They will not even see us come."

"We should just defend ourselves!" Another of the elf leaders said.

There was another discursion where even Elrond took part and I had to take also part till some of us saw some balls fly to fall at our feet and then we heard more explosions that again made us cover ourselves in silence.

"Thanks for the silence." She said while then we noticed she had not moved the slightest, what was more; she had laid her head over her right hand in boredom. "Now Elrond seemed to have an idea. We should pay attention to him as he was the one appointing this council."

"You stop throwing those… bloody hexes over us!" A dwarf said.

"You mean this?" She said opening a side of the cloak showing us all she was wearing an armour top at her chest with several straps holding what looked as bags, especially from her belt; including some bags sewed to the cloak where she took another of the little balls. "Oh, but this are just for calling for your attention. These." She said showing us a pair of things that looked as bars from a strap at her arm. "Are for causing destruction. Any want to try one? No? Then let's allow Elrond to speak."

"We don't use those kind of… hexed things here." Elrond told her off. "I think I had already explained you we don't take those kind of dangerous things here."

"I've seen." She said. "The dwarf's lords are still carrying their axes and those gentlemen over there are carrying at least a weapon each." She added. "I think the only ones following the rules are the elfish lords. Anyway, if you are feeling better…" She said standing up and walking to a side where a broken stone post was standing to form a funny stone mini-table.

Then she began removing belts and more belts, putting them and some bags she un-strapped from all her body over the table to finally put her sword and daggers there forming a big mount of weapons.

"Hey, I'm not keeping my eyes out of my dear belongings." She advised the nearest one that, as Elrond and the rest of us were also astonished by such a great and variety of weapons she was carrying over herself without us realising on it. "Shall we keep on Elrond?"

The council was held for a long while after that point. We argued more times too and finally we reached the agreement that we would face them, each one the way they preferred, and in the case we would need help we would tell the nearest chief.

By the time the council was ended, the lady seemed to relax a bit. She stood up and left after taking back her weapons; but Aragorn, Faramir and I were able to get her before she got lost again.

"Nice performance over there." Aragorn said.

"Just a question." Faramir said as she began putting all her weapons back to their right places. "How can you carry so many things without getting tired?"

"It's easy once you are trained on it." She said. "Woo, oh. Don't remove that. Those are poisonous orbs. Made from natural things."

"Excuse me." Faramir said handing her it. "How is we have never seen you around before? Are you a Ranger? Are your men fighting over there?"

"No." She said. "I come from far across the sea and as you can see, I have no men with me so as to call them my men."

"I told you not to get mixed on this." I told her.

"And I told you I would because this is also my war." She answered.

"So, I must admit you already met each other." Aragorn said.

"You also know." I said. "It's the warrior we picked at my forest edge."

Aragorn then tried to remove the hood but she held a dage against his neck once again.

"Yes, he is." He said.

"I can't remove it here." She said. "It would be… Oh, I think that perhaps you would not mind having a drink together on… ten minutes time."

"After dinner?" I asked her. "Or after you have managed to heal that?"

"Both." She said appearing to be smiling under her hood.

Then she left again.

"Wow, he must be still young with such a weird voice." Faramir said smiling. "So you know him?"

"Yes, we found him fighting against orcs at the edge of Legolas' forest some time ago." Aragorn told him.

"I think this is going to be a surprise for you." I said. "Anyway, why don't we just invite 'him' to have dinner by our side?"

"Elrond would not allow that." Faramir said. "I think he liked him pretty much despite of his means seems not too… usual."

Anyway, as I said, she was to surprise them, and me. Beginning for the point that she didn't came to dinner with her usual common appearance on man robes. I don't know where or who lent her the dress but she wore a nice elfish dress for dinner, and she sat on a corner according to what manners dictated. So, she was not much noticed among the rest of the ladies but for her weird hair colour not matching with our usual light blond or dark coloured hair.

"Have you noticed that one?" Faramir asked us when she sat down. "She looks great. I wonder who she has come with."

When she saw us she just smiled and bowed her head slightly as greeting. Anyway, we couldn't speak with her till the end of the dinner, when people began leaving for sleeping and we elves stayed up, at least most of us.

She got us when we were leaving the dinning hall.

"Happy to see Lord Legolas came too." She said. "What took you so long? I thought your horses were fast as wind."

"You can't say same about yours." I said. "You arrived later than us."

"As I said, I got attacked by some orcs on my way back here." She said looking up. "I arrived here a week ago but I left again for fighting some orcs near the edge of here."

"I think we have still not being introduced properly." Aragorn said.

"Really?" She asked smiling. _**"Aragorn o Gondorello (Aragorn of Gondor). Im **__**Eärwen Faelivrin. (My name is Eärwen Faelivrin)**__**"**_

Then Aragorn looked at her confused and surprised as I smiled in fun of seeing him have mistaken her again.

"Miss Eärwen, _**Im Faramir of Roham."**_ He said trying to speak in our language.

"Good." She said smiling as he had mixed elfish and common language. "Yet it is '_**Im Faramir o Rohamello'**_ but you did it pretty well too."

That made them laugh as she and I smiled.

"So, you are the terrible warrior we picked up nearly dead at the edge of the forest." Aragorn said when they stopped laughing.

"To serve you, King Aragorn." She said bowing. "Yet I'm still a foreigner here I can say I learn easily. You three are two human kings and elfish leader."

"Hey, that's right she learns easily." Faramir said. "That's good cause that will save you. So, when are you leaving for the secret fortresses?"

"Leaving." She said. "I think you misunderstood me. I'm going first line. Even if you don't think it's proper I'm going."

"I don't want to be rude, but where is your male relative that is not here?" Aragorn said.

"It's not usual to find a woman at a council. Even Lady Galadriel used to send her husband for the councils."

"I'm the only one of my tribe here." She said. "As I said, I have no men I can call mine. I fight just myself."

"So you are single then." Aragorn asked.

"Yes." She said smiling as she moved her head. "There was someone but… I've never been tied to any man if that's what you meant. How do humans call it…? Married. No married."

"Lucky you." Faramir said joking. "We are married, but for our handsome and blond friend."

"I supposed." She said looking at me. "Us elves don't marry as you humans do. But we give our hearts to the one we love, and when we do that's usually forever."

I think them as humans didn't knew of our rituals, but even when I had nearly forgot she was an elf lady, she was it. A foreigner one.

"Ah, I think I invited to a cup together before, just after the council." She said when we reached the village inn. "Shall we have it here or you prefer to have it somewhere else?"

"Here looks just fine." Faramir said.

We stayed there for a long while, till Faramir and Aragorn were so tired that they needed to get to their beds and sleep. Then she and I were left alone with some other elves there.

Women didn't usually got there, but if _**Eärwen **_didn't seem to have noticed, minded or cared; when I asked her she just smiled.

"I think now it's a bit late to care about it." She said. "I fight as a man, normally wear as one and I think I'm beginning to act as one too. Do we toss?"

"Do we have a reason to do it?" I asked her.

"I have no reasons for tossing." She said. "But as long as one is alive, there's a reason for tossing. So… ah, I know!" She said thinking to then smile and raise her beer jar. "Let's toss for our future victory in this campaign or mini-war."

"Cheers." I said tossing with her.

"Cheers." She answered smiling.

I have to agree with something, I didn't knew her much; in fact I had never heard of her before she came appearing on the edge of my lands. And I must agree she seemed just as the north wind, appearing and disappearing all the time.

Anyway, when she was wearing as a lady, there, drinking and tossing with us and now just me… I must agree she was a good company, mysterious and stubborn but nice anyway. And now she was wearing as a lady of her condition should, I must add pretty too.

The night was long, but we kept on tossing and chatting. She told me about the time since she ran away from my men and my surveillance.

"Ha, of course I was not staying there!" She said. "This is also my war. And you wanted to send me back to a land where nothing is left for me. If I have to die at least allow me to do with with honour, fighting for our future."

"Then you will have to come as a man." I said.

"I'm not travelling with you." She said moving her head playfully. "I've already told you. I travel alone so I'll be informing you all, fighting alone and chasing my revenge."

Revenge, now I got a better view of the background moving her. I tried to find out more, but she said not much more. Anyway, we kept on chatting and she spoke me about how her lands were before war reached them, and her stories and our chats kept on till next morning when we went back to the council to keep on with the meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Episode 4: First ride of the New Company.**

(Legolas Voice)

"This is just stupid." Éomer said. "I know women can fight but making us go with one…!"

"I didn't either ask to go with you guys." Eärwen said as she tied the last straps of his horse and then mounting it. "But as it's the council's will I'm to take it along too."

"Just try to stay in the middle of us and all will be just fine." Gimli said. "We will protect you, lady."

"I don't really think she needs much protection." Aragorn told me on a whisper.

"Nor do me." I admitted as I saw how she had got wore back with a male elf uniform she picked from Elrond's men wrapping her breast to make it plain as a men's one under the mithrill armour she carried among her belongings and over which she wore the uniform. "We should begin to get used to travel the six of us together and the sooner we do it the best."

"Yeah, yeah." She said. "Whatever. Do we begin moving?"

Then the two human brothers in law kicked their horsed to make them run and then she kicked hers too.

"Why do you men always behave as little kids?" She asked us before running after them.

Then Aragorn looked at me and we kick our horses too.

"Hey!" Gimli shouted as he made his horse move. "Wait for me you younger ones!!"

That way we began our way to find the fights.

(Eärwen's voice)

It was just half a day since the second part of the council. There it was decided to send a company, mix of all razes there, to move faster than the rest and inform them. So they asked for volunteers.

"I'm going my way to look for the groups they can recruit and kill the most I can while you arrive." I said from my seat wearing back a guy with the hooded cloak covering my face.

"If there's a need of something going before the rest to inform then you can count on me." Aragorn said. "I know all the safe ways over all the place. You can count on my sword."

"And my axe." Gimli, one of the dwarves' leaders, said.

"Count also on my bow." Legolas had added.

"If you are going then you will need someone else to keep peace between those two." Éomer said then. "I want to protect my people and this could be the best way of giving a hand. I know this land also very well."

"And I can help them with their task too." Faramir said. "I'm one of Roham and Gondor's warriors."

"Six good warriors and explorers…" Elrond said then. "So will it be. You will be our exploring Company. And I don't want any complains coming from you." He had added looking from me to them.

"Legolas." I told him when we were going through the top of a high hill. "Can you also see that?"

"What do your privileged eyes see?" Aragorn asked.

"There are some smoke columns coming from the north." Legolas said.

"Bigger than a mere cooking fire." I added making my horse to stop completely to have a better look. "But not enough big for being a fight fire cause by houses caught in fire."

"Yes, it could be… more likely to be like they were burning something for making something else." Legolas said agreeing too.

(Legolas Voice)

"Hey, I was thinking… How is you are over here?" I asked her for hundredth time after we met.

"And without any escort." Aragorn asked.

"I've told you." She told us. "I'm the only one of my place here. And I need no men to protect me as if I was to break."

"You have guts." Eömer said. "Just as my sister. But this is something dangerous for a woman. You should have brought at least two of your trust men."

We were going up a rocky hill where we had to climb with care. After that hill we would join a group of men that would pick up Aragorn and Faramir to lead their respective armies.

"I've already told you I couldn't." She said. "And I didn't want to."

"Why?" Faramir said then.

"They were death!!" She said angry. "Are you happy now?! Is it of any help to you?!" She added kicking the sides of her horse to make it run up the rocks as easily as if he was flying over them.

Anyway, her answer had made us go shocked. We had always noticed she didn't spoke much of the ones of her kind. But we never thought it would be cause of it.

"Legolas." Faramir told me. "Did you knew it? That all her family, friends and men were death?"

"No." I said. "She had never told me. I know just a bit more than you. And she has never told me much about the ones from her village on the other end of the… from where she came."

"What is sure is she is fast." Eömer said then as we did our horses go faster. "Maybe is true she could also doing well without her men at her back."

"She can defend." Aragorn said. "As us; but she must also need men if she gets into a big fight."

We ran for a while until we found her stopped at the very top of a rock looking forward.

"Hey." We said. "Sorry about…"

"There's a group of explorers over there." She said pointing to a point at the hill among rocks. "They've been hiding while they walk."

"Where?" Eömer asked.

"Over there." I said spotting the group of two explorers with five fighting orcs hiding at the hill. "They are just seven."

"They were eleven for a while." She said pointing to a place where we could see another four death by arrows sank at their chests.

"Ok." Faramir said making his sword twist at his hand. "Let's clean the coast a bit."

Then they began running down the hill while she stood there and I was by her side.

"Don't you go too?" I asked.

"This time I think I prefer covering their backs." She said holding her bow with one arrow aiming at one of the fighters.

It took us not too long to end up with the whole group.

"They were explorers." Faramir said then. "Eärwen?"

"I suppose so." She said. "That must mean there's a bigger group not too far from here."

Then she whistled and raised her hand to allow a bird to perch there.

"Do we keep on riding for the night or we look for a shelter?" Eärwen said.

"We should look for shelter." Eömer said.

"Yeah, with women…" Faramir said.

"Stop seeing me as a woman." She said placing her bow back at her back. "I can ride for long too."

"And we don't doubt it." Faramir said as if he was joking. "Just thought it would be better for a lady to…"

"It's ok." Aragorn said as wanting to peace her down a bit. "Legolas and you are elves but we are humans and need a rest."

"Then us two could keep and open eye." She said. "Just in case? Oh, by the way, you chose the place. I don't know around much more than maps…"

(Aragorn's voice)

"I think we could find a good shelter at the other side of the mountain." I said. "But till we can get out of this passes it can take a bit of the night too."

The truth was we were a bit worried now cause of the presence of a woman among us. If we had just been us without her then we would have probably kept on walking during night too. But she changed things up.

And sun was beginning to menace of hiding a bit.

"Then why don't we keep on till it begins to get a bit darker and you men endirt a bit your hands to build a sheltered place to sleep?" She said. "If we do it well then not even one of our kind could find us, so less orcs."

"And how do you suggest us hiding so well?" Eömer asked her.

"Snow." She just said smiling.

None of us could find a proper way of building a shelter with snow, but she seemed to know how. When sun finally began to hide we stopped and she got off the horse.

"Ok, now… let's endirt our hands a bit." She said. "We have to dig a space though snow." She said wrapping her hands with some cloths and beginning to dig in the snow to show us how to do it. "Like this. With care of not making everything up our heads to fall over us."

She began digging while we took care of the horses and then we took her place. Slowly we began making a room in the snow. Even when some snow fell over us we finally managed to build a room big enough for two elves, three humans and a dwarf.

"We should build another one for the lady." Faramir said then.

"Nah, we have no time." She said as Legolas got in the room too. "See? Outside is too dark for beginning another one now. And there's enough room for everyone here. I can… sit here and guard your dreams with Legolas." She said sitting down at a side of the door. "Just try to rest. Tomorrow we will have to depart at sun rise."

"That was supposed to be told by us to you, young miss." Gimli said a bit bothered. "But of course, you elves are proud of having to sleep so little."

"Sometimes it's a bit a bother." She answered. "Sleep. We guard the entrance. Furthermore…" She added crawling to the very entrance and beginning to close the entrance till it was really dark inside. "Done, now we are unspottable." She added shaking something to make some little light shine at her front. "And we have a light. Anyone else that has something that gives off light and is not fire?"

"Is it a light from a star?" Legolas asked her.

"Oh, yep." She said. "Earendil, our dearest star. I think things like that don't change easily."

"Galadriel gave Frodo something like that." I said.

"Ok." She said. "What I was wondering… can you tell me which way are we following? If there's one, I mean."

"The plan is simple." Eömer said. "We ride, keep on killing orcs…"

"Till we can find a better way of ending with this and tell the rest then we must just ride and get rid of orcs." Faramir said. "But I suggest we first get out of this mountains, get somewhere else to spend the night and then begin travelling towards Rohan first."

"Yes, there we could join our armies and plan a better attack." Eömer added.

"So, that means you will leave us." Eärwen said. "Ok, there's not much need on so much people tracking orcs."

Maybe she was trying to sound no affected but I could see she would miss something of them, just a bit.

"They are leaders so their duty is to join their armies." Legolas said. "That was what the council ordered."

"I know." She said as offended. "I would have done the same! And to be sincere, I don't care. Less people to keep an eye on. At least it will help for getting the forces we need."

Then was where they felt a bit offended but took it as a joke and laughed. It was funny how she insisted on keeping acting as a man a suddenly we heard something outside so I made them a signal to shut up as Faramir crawled at the entrance tunnel. Luckily it was nothing.

"Maybe a couple of orcs going somewhere." Gimli said.

"Don't think so." I answered. "Orcs don't stand cold so well."

"They didn't sound as orcs." Legolas agreed. "But I doubt there are much more live around here."

"Maybe it was big feet." The girl said lying against a frozen wall. "You know, that creature living on snowy places that is said to eat flesh."

"That's just a tale." Faramir said lying backwards to try and sleep.

"Yeah." Eömer said. "A tale for scaring little kids. I think I was told once."

"If that creature was real but sure we dwarves would have seen it." Gimli added.

"Ok, as you want." She said. "I know it eats just vegetarian kind of food…"

(Eärwen's voice)

It took not too long for the human men to fall asleep, and I laid sitting against the cold wall with my head looking up to the ceiling.

"Is it true all your men were murdered?" Legolas asked me.

"Why should I lie?" I answered him. "In case you have still nor realised yet, I don't care what anyone can think. I'm alone in this world now."

"And what do you say of your people?" He asked me.

"I've told you." I answered him calmed. "All dead. I was supposed to have help them and I could do nothing. When I returned to them it was too late. They had just been murdered. So now the only thing left is to chase the one that did it and end up with it's menace. Even if it takes my life to get his."

I don't know if I gave him the answer he was looking for, but I certainly told him all the truth. I wanted to take revenge for all the men, women and kids this "sir" had murdered, his troops and him.

(Faramir's voice)

When the next morning arrived, we were waked up by the two elves. She was the one waking me up. And now I knew why she was so dry towards us all. I had heard it the previous night from her own mouth when I woke up accidentally when the dwarf snore too loudly. All her tribe was murdered when she was not there. Now she felt guilty of it because, as Legolas, she was an elfish leader.

"Hey, this is still too early." We complaint when we saw that the only light in the room was the one coming from her pendant.

"It's not so." Legolas said while she crawled at the entrance. "The entrance fell of an hour ago and we have been trying to re-open it."

"We are trapped here?!" The dwarf asked. "Nobody traps a dwarf in a cave!!"

He was to get to the entrance but fell down rolling.

"A lady should not kick men!" He roared.

"Just shut up and sit down while I end." She said thought the tunnel.

"You should allow us." Eömer said. "That's hard work."

"It's just a metre now, so stop complaining" She said.

It was true, after some minutes we could smell fresh air coming through the hole she had managed to re-open.

"Hey, the entrance is free." She said. "Could you get out? The day is now beginning."

"I'm beginning to doubt she is really a woman." Eömer said joking. "She fights, digs for shelter, ride…"

"And watch out or she will run away from you." Legolas added as he crawled behind him.

When we reached the end of the tunnel we saw the snow had fallen that night erased our foot prints in the snow. Our horses were still there, covered in snow but ok.

"Anyone leading the way?" She said taking her horse's ropes to lead him.

"I will." Gimli said. "Nobody can move better than a dwarf."

"If you don't mind I'll be leading the way." Legolas said. "I have better sight than you, Gimli."

And so was it. He was the one leading us through what was left of the way out of the mountains into Lorien Woods nearbies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Episode 5****: Goodbyes and new mates.**

(Legolas Voice)

After lot of time travelling together with the three human men, the dwarf and the elf woman wearing as a man, we finally arrived to a place Faramir said we would be welcomed for the night. The old hideout of Rangers of Ithilien. And it was good because it was beginning to get late and we would never reach anywhere fitting for resting during night before it fell.

"Well." Faramir said as we got next to the waterfall hiding the entrance to the hideout. "Welcome to Rangers of Ithilien's secret hideout."

"Looks cool." We said as we jumped off the horses.

"Yeah, surrounded by nature, perfect hiding… I may suppose you also can get some food on the surroundings." Eärwen said caressing her horse's forehead.

"Well… I must say it was not adapted for a…" Faramir began saying.

"Hey!" She said. "Say woman or lady and I'll hurt you."

During all this time we had learnt a lot about her. For example, she didn't like to be treated different for being a woman. And another one was she had perfect aiming specially when she was angry, and she would not doubt the slightest to aim at one of us if we made her really angry.

"Ok, ok." He said. "No references to that. About food, there is some at the storage room, but if you want fresh one then you should hunt it yourself."

"Fish?" She asked.

"Not from here." Faramir said. "The ones getting it from our sacred waters will be immediately executed."

"Then if we want to eat we have to hunt outside this nearby." Eömer said then while we took our horses to a safe place. "That's not funny."

"Never mind, we could eat whatever you have in there." I said.

"Yeah, if there's no other choice…" She added.

"I bet they have at least some dry meat." Aragorn said. "Perfect for the lembas bread."

"I'm tired of eating always that when we can't hunt!" Gimli said then.

"Lembas is good." Eärwen said. "But Mr. Gimli is right. Everyone needs meat. Maybe there would be a good idea if we hunt something."

"Ok, I'll send some men to hunt for you all." Faramir said.

"There's no need of it." She said smiling. "We have hands."

"I'm not going to accept a 'long legs' to hunt meat for me!" Gimli said then.

"Then I may suggest a competition." She said. "On an hour back here and they will judge the competition."

"You have a treat miss." Gimli said as she lowered to shake hands with him. "I'm not going to lose against you, miss."

"We will see." She said smiling in fun and holding her laugh.

When I first thought she was a serious lady, obviously I was mistaken, she is serious if needed, and with people she doesn't know or trust; but when it comes to friends, she is really nice and cheerful.

It was nearly an hour later when Gimli came back carrying what looked as a headless pair of oars and some hares, but no more than three or four.

"Ha, ha, ha!" He laughed. "Where is our miss? Oh, I know, she didn't hunt a thing!"

"Well, certainly, if she doesn't return on five minutes it will mean she will be out of the competition and Mr. Gimli would have won." Éomer said smiling in fun.

"Yeah, do not send a woman to do men's work." One of the Rangers of Ithilien said laughing at her.

"Don't say it too loud." I said smiling as I saw something. "She could surprise you."

"Yes, don't allow her to hear you saying such, Mablung." Faramir said. "She will cut your balls and serve them as dinner." He added making everyone laugh.

"Anyway, if she doesn't arrive on a minute she will be out of competition." Damrod said.

"So… sir, you want us to…" Alcarín said then.

"Yes." Faramir said. "As I need to stay at Gondor with my king Aragorn I want you to do it."

"Perfect." Damrod said. "We have to travel with a woman."

"I advise you not to allow her to hear that." I said smiling as another ranger arrived and said something to Faramir and Aragorn's ears. "She gets a bit mad when she hears that kind of things, and… well, she is as good as a man on fighting."

"Ok men." Faramir said. "There's something big and slow coming here and it's about getting to the water fall, I want you to be ready to shoot an arrow when I order it, please."

We all then reached the hiding places with the men, and while Aragorn and I hid behind a rock, we saw a big hairy boulder cross the water fall pulling from something else.

I then saw Faramir doing a sign to hold the bows ready to shoot when he lowered his hand.

Then the boulder moved a bit and he lowered it so a rain of arrows sank on the top of the boulder.

"WHAT THE…?!" An angry female voice said. "STOP SHOOTING YOU MOROONS!! YOU ARE GOING TO RUIN MY HUNTS!!!"

"Stop it!!" Faramir roared then. "It's just our female partner…"

"Of course it's me!" She said coming out of the boulder of hairy things she was carrying hiding her from sight over her shoulders and hanging from all around her while she had been pulling from something else tied to some ropes being pulled by her tied to her waist. "Oh, my… those are really heavy..." She added untying the rope around her waist to let us see there was not just the big bear like animal and the oar and huge lynx thing she was carrying at her sides or the litter deer like thing she was carrying over her shoulders hiding her head too, but also some hares and birds hanging from her belt.

"Wow…" Aragorn said. "It seems we have a clear winner…"

"They were easy hunts." She said rubbing her shoulders while the men went down with us to pick the big animals. "But you can't imagine how heavy they were. And the bear thing was also a bit vicious before I could lay my hands on it. Man… he has even tried to bite me."

(Eärwen's voice)

"I wonder how she could hunt so much meat." One of the men there said while I was walking back to where they were.

I was pretty used to that kind of comments from people out of my tribe who were pretty used to seeing me fighting with my father's men as if I was the son he never had.

He usually complained about me being more like a man than like a lady, but my mother took it easier.

"One day, you will find a man for whom you will feel like changing and you will begin acting as a good lady." She used to tell me. "You already know how to do it."

"It's funnier to act like I do now." I used to answer her while she tried to comb my hair to make it softer after I had messed it while I climbed up a tree as if I was a human kid.

"Hello." I said then getting in the room where the men were sitting with some beer jars in front of them and the meat beginning to roast. "Sorry for the delay, I wasn't able to find the entrance again after cleaning myself a bit. Did I miss anything?"

"No, ma'am." Gimli said. "We were just chatting a bit."

"Oh, do you mind if I also join?" I asked smiling.

"But of course, milady." Faramir said. "You are free to speak."

"Ah, now you look more like a lady." Aragorn said smiling warm while he had a look at me making me turn around smiling.

"Thanks, I suppose this is more like a female when I'm not wearing the flattening bandage at my breast." I said smiling as I took seat and a man pushed it for me to get near the handmade table. "So, what where you talking about?"

"The situation." Aragorn told me. "Faramir said he would take some men to protect the city walls, but I disagree because I can't see what use is to protect the port points if the enemies don't seem to be able to swim well."

"Could they get boats?" I said interested on that.

"Yes, but I doubt the place they could get them would join their side." Legolas told me while the other two kept on arguing about it. "By the way, they have already settled everything for our depart."

"Great, the sooner we leave the better." I agreed. "Anyway… I suppose a bit of rest will do wonderful on everyone. Especially when it seems it's going to be just Gimli, you and me."

"Er… it happens that they have settled some men to come with us." Legolas told me.

"I expect not any of those men staring at us." I said referring to some guys staring at us.

"Milady, but they don't stare at you." Alcarín said smiling. "They just wonder if you are the same lady that arrived carrying all that flesh and hair boulders and covered in dust, dirt and blood."

"It's obvious it's me." I said then. "And my name is Eärwen."

"Alcarín, milady." He told me smiling. "I'm going to be part of the party travelling with you two and the drunken dwarf over there."

I then noticed Gimli was getting fun with some other men telling tales while they laugh.

"Yes, well, dwarves seem to like getting drunk." I said smiling. "Yet it's the first time I see one for so long."

"You didn't have dwarves on your place?" Another man said then.

"No, well, yes but they didn't lived where we did." I recognised. "In fact, they didn't liked my kind much; yet I used to like to go to their places and some used to be kind to me despite of… well, our different points of view." I recognised smiling.

"So you had dwarves." A young man with beautiful face told me. "Obviously elves… and humans?"

"Yes." I said in fun raising an eyebrow. "I come not from another planet. Yet it seems our systems were different. I mean… we didn't have just men, elves and dwarves, and also dark creatures as trolls and orcs, that in fact were a bit different from the ones you have here."

"Ok, I don't know how it works on your place." Faramir said smiling in fun. "But here, and I mean especially in this hideout, we tend to organise parties when we get a good hunting."

"Yeah, for sure." I said smiling. "And now you tell me you celebrate it singing and dancing while you get so drunk you fall asleep."

"That would be a great party!" Gimli said then.

"It seems our female friend here knows how to get fun." Aragorn said then.

"Yep, we also did that, more or less, on the place I come from." I recognised after having a long gulp of my jar. "But if you think I'm going to sing or dance then you are really mistaken."

"No, no." Faramir then said. "I meant you have to tell us a story."

"Ah, sure." I said nodding. "A tale to make little kids sleep; I got the idea."

"Not a fairy tale!!" They complaint laughing.

"I didn't meant that either." I said. "But I can tell you about Beren Anárion, the brave; and how did he win the greatest fight on our times."

"Oh, another man…" They complained laughing.

"Hum… difficult audience… then what about Elemmírë Anárion?" I said. "A great lady from my lands, famous far and wide by all the razes for her beauty."

"I like that one." A man with beard and long hair said smiling in fun.

"Or maybe the one about the little Laurë Tîwele, that on the age of 10 in your human age system was considered as a perfect jewel worth of a king but still in need of being polished a bit by time?" I said.

"Speak us about the first one." A man asked.

"You've been done a formal petition." Aragorn said joking. "Let's listen to that story then."

"Ok, how should I begin?" I said appearing to doubt. "My, my! I'm afraid I'm an awful tale-teller!"

Then I began telling them about that wonderful woman that once saved a whole world from fighting thanks to her beauty, which was worth of any war to stop just to prevent hurting her.

What I said about me being a bad tale-teller was an obvious lie, cause during all my speech, everyone was paying attention to my voice and tale. When I ended all of the human men were sleeping, even the dwarf was sleeping so I went to get something a bit softer to lie at and then covering myself the best I could with an animal fur made blanket.

"Heya, I was thinking…" Legolas told me a bit sleepy too. "That woman you were describing… was her part of your family?"

"Cunning as a fox, I didn't expect less from an elfish prince." I said joking. "Yes, Elemmírë Anárion was my mother; and Beren Anárion, the brave… he was my grandfather, his son married my mother and both gave me my life."

"I thought so." He said. "Yet I suspected the man to be your father, not your grandfather."

That made me smile. It seemed to have forgot about the little girl, but I didn't minded; all I wanted then was to sleep a bit and rest from all the time I spent without a single rest to sleep on those foreign lands where I felt as if I was to be attacked on any single second, anyway… then, at that place… I felt I could rest all I wanted because I would be protected, somehow.


End file.
